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Songs that didn't make the HIStory album

Fuzball

Fuzball

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Songs with (partial) vocals in different states of completion that we know of (either through release or leak) that haven't made in on to the HIStory album, but had quite a potential to shine on the album if pushed enough and completed in time.

So hypothetically, if we took the Quincy-approch and would replace up to five of the weakest songs from the actual HIStory tracklist with songs from the list below, which song(s) would you replace?

The unfinished ones are "complete enough" to give us an idea where MJ was heading with them, and those of course would have been completed for such release.

Let's brainstorm on this matter!

  • Morphine
  • Is It Scary
  • On The Line
  • In The Back
  • Much Too Soon
  • Faces
  • Changes
  • Innocent Man
 
I would replace Come Together with Is It Scary (hell of a song, btw; this one needs more recognition).

The album would start with Faces (kicking History out) and would end with "why you stab me in the back?" (D.S. out).

I think this would be the bulk of my attempt. The are some other songs on History that I like less than what didn't end up on there, but not sure how to incorporate them in a flawless way. Maybe in addtion Changes instead of This Time Around.
 
Alright. So we need to cut the 5 weakest tracks? In that case, let me pull up my History rankings:

15. D.S
14. This Time Around
13. Money
12. Come Together
11. Tabloid Junkie
10. 2 Bad
9. History
8. Little Susie
7. Smile
6. Childhood
5. You Are Not Alone
4. Scream
3. Stranger In Moscow
2. They Don't Care About Us
1. Earth Song

Tracks 11-15 are definitely the weakest for me. Now, looking at the options you provided: Morphine is an immediate "no" for me. It’s hard to even judge In The Back and Faces since they’re so far from being finished. I’m going to pass on those as well, as the remaining 5 options are much more convincing.

Is It Scary, On The Line, and Much Too Soon are my no-brainer picks. Great songs. As for Changes and Innocent Man - even though they're unfinished, they still feel like pretty ambitious tracks
 
Faces and Changes are always on my playlist and I keep on listening to them quite often.

I think Faces would be a very good opening track for the album, just the part where he speaks about Nelson Mandela and dreaming of a better tomorrow then instantly followed by Scream, like an interlude of some sort. Changes would fit best probably instead of Come Together. I love his cover of the song but I think it should have been put into a collection album.

Is It Scary and Morphine are just great in BOTDF album and I'm glad he released them.
 
I love Changes! A little long but the vibe is there, always love the acoustic, "plonking" grand piano stuff, like in invincible
 
Paul MCC said:
Alright. So we need to cut the 5 weakest tracks? In that case, let me pull up my History rankings:

15. D.S
14. This Time Around
13. Money
12. Come Together
11. Tabloid Junkie
10. 2 Bad
9. History
8. Little Susie
7. Smile
6. Childhood
5. You Are Not Alone
4. Scream
3. Stranger In Moscow
2. They Don't Care About Us
1. Earth Song

Tracks 11-15 are definitely the weakest for me. Now, looking at the options you provided: Morphine is an immediate "no" for me. It’s hard to even judge In The Back and Faces since they’re so far from being finished. I’m going to pass on those as well, as the remaining 5 options are much more convincing.

Is It Scary, On The Line, and Much Too Soon are my no-brainer picks. Great songs. As for Changes and Innocent Man - even though they're unfinished, they still feel like pretty ambitious tracks
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I see.
You’re more the ballad type of guy.
You‘ve got 3 1/2 „fast paced / hard hitting“ songs in your top 10. The rest are all slow/sad/ballad songs.

Unfortunately that’s the one knock I’d put on HIStory and Invincible - too many ballads.

• Little Susie & Smile to close out HIStory?
I almost wanted to grab a rope and vanish under our houses roof top when I first heard the album (just joking - but for real).

• Childhood AND YANA ??? Wasn’t ES an SIM already enough for the feels?

So I would‘ve saved two of those four ballads (LS, Smile, Childhood, YANA) for a later release. Plus I would‘ve scratched „Come Together“, because it was already released more than once (Moonwalker, as a b-side to RTT, plus as a Tour Souvenir Single) and at it’s original length at that!
Now you would‘ve 3 additional spots for example „Changes“ „In The Back“ & one more!
Plus „Tabloid Junkie“ could have been 1 or 2 minutes longer (or 3 or 4 minutes for good measure)!

And - really: TTA, Money & Tabloid NOT in your Top10?
That’s egregious. That’s disrespectful and highly offensive. Inappropriate. Over the top. Straight up nasty! Wash your mouth out with bleach - kind of nasty!
 
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i actually REALLY like HIStory as ir is. Its not my favorite slbum, but it has a special place in my heart, cause i love the anger he put in the album. He finally showed the world he have had enough, and he put his foot down (ss he should!!!❤️)

My favorite from the album are definetly Tabloid junkie (SO underrated imo) But if i should choose 5 to replace, i would choose Little Susie, This time around, smile, come together and D.S. Aahh this was hard🥲

And i would replace these songs with Changes, In the back, Faces, Much too soon and om the line. I thin kboth Morphine and is it scary fits perfectly in BOTDF. And i think these fits the vibe of HIStory the best!❤️
 
LivXapplehead said:
i actually REALLY like HIStory as ir is. Its not my favorite slbum, but it has a special place in my heart, cause i love the anger he put in the album. He finally showed the world he have had enough, and he put his foot down (ss he should!!!❤️)

My favorite from the album are definetly Tabloid junkie (SO underrated imo) But if i should choose 5 to replace, i would choose Little Susie, This time around, smile, come together and D.S. Aahh this was hard🥲

And i would replace these songs with Changes, In the back, Faces, Much too soon and om the line. I thin kboth Morphine and is it scary fits perfectly in BOTDF. And i think these fits the vibe of HIStory the best!❤️
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Totally agree. I barely listen to HIStory these days, but it's still a good album.

Might actually chuck in Ghosts somewhere as well - that was worked on for HIStory. That was recorded (in demo form perhaps) for Dangerous and re-worked for Addams Family Values in April 1993.
 
Eventidescape1 said:
Totally agree. I barely listen to HIStory these days, but it's still a good album.

Might actually chuck in Ghosts somewhere as well - that was worked on for HIStory. That was recorded (in demo form perhaps) for Dangerous and re-worked for Addams Family Values in April 1993.
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Yeah i could see Ghosts on too!
 
LivXapplehead said:
i actually REALLY like HIStory as ir is. Its not my favorite slbum, but it has a special place in my heart, cause i love the anger he put in the album. He finally showed the world he have had enough, and he put his foot down (ss he should!!!❤️)

My favorite from the album are definetly Tabloid junkie (SO underrated imo) But if i should choose 5 to replace, i would choose Little Susie, This time around, smile, come together and D.S. Aahh this was hard🥲

And i would replace these songs with Changes, In the back, Faces, Much too soon and om the line. I thin kboth Morphine and is it scary fits perfectly in BOTDF. And i think these fits the vibe of HIStory the best!❤️
Click to expand...
Why are you doing this with Little Susie :cry:
someplace_else said:
I wouldn't replace any, I think HIStory is great as it is. It feels well balanced and I am not sure if the tracks above would fit into the tracklist.
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Totally with you on this even if I want to remove the song Money. To me, it doesn't belong on the album
 
Lilloue03 said:
Why are you doing this with Little Susie :cry:

Totally with you on this even if I want to remove the song Money. To me, it doesn't belong on the album
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Haha well i like little susie! But i thinkk if i had to my least favorite it would be that one😅 although it is SUCH a vibe!✨ is it your favorite from the album?
 
MartinMoonwalkerJackson said:
I see it differently. Yes, Streetwalker should have been on the Bad album, but as another song, so for me Bad would have 12 songs. It's like Hot Street on Thriller. It's already been released and we're not going to change Michael's releases.
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Yeah i agree cause i think all the songs on Bad and the other albums belongs there cause thats the songs mike chose for the albums. So it would really only work out if it didnt replace any songs but just came as an extra
 
Fuzball said:
Songs with (partial) vocals in different states of completion that we know of (either through release or leak) that haven't made in on to the HIStory album, but had quite a potential to shine on the album if pushed enough and completed in time.

So hypothetically, if we took the Quincy-approch and would replace up to five of the weakest songs from the actual HIStory tracklist with songs from the list below, which song(s) would you replace?

The unfinished ones are "complete enough" to give us an idea where MJ was heading with them, and those of course would have been completed for such release.

Let's brainstorm on this matter!

  • Morphine
  • Is It Scary
  • On The Line
  • In The Back
  • Much Too Soon
  • Faces
  • Changes
  • Innocent Man
Click to expand...
1. Scream
2. They Don't Care About Us
3. Stranger in Moscow
4. This Time Around
5. Earth Song
6. D.S.
7. Money
8. Morphine
9. You Are Not Alone
10. Childhood
11. Tabloid Junkie
12. 2 Bad [remove intro and rap]
13. HIStory
14. Is It Scary
15. On the Line

EDIT - I thought about replacing D.S. with In the Back.
 
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I like Morphine and Is It Scary, but I wouldn't change HIStory. Well, maybe DS. And Childhood would have worked best if it was just a B-side.
 
MJJuniorSinceMW said:
Plus I would‘ve scratched „Come Together“, because it was already released more than once (Moonwalker, as a b-side to RTT, plus as a Tour Souvenir Single) and at it’s original length at that!
Click to expand...
I never understood why 'come together' was on HIStory continues? If it had been re-recorded maybe so. Are there any differences with it?
 
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